Wescot – Money Advice Scotland annual conference

Money Advice Scotland hosted its 24th Annual Conference in Glasgow in June 2013. The long-standing event is seen as an important and informative event which is utilised by many people from varying backgrounds. The 24th Annual Conference addressed many different issues, but dedicated a lot of the event to the changes within the financial world and the regulatory process.

One of the key issues at the event concerned the changes in bankruptcy legislation, which will have a major impact on many people and businesses within Scotland itself. Also on the agenda at the conference were discussions relating to welfare provision with particular emphasis being placed on the effect that it will have on the consumer. Many of the changes that have recently been put in place were discussed at the event with many debating who will be the ones to benefit from the changes. The event gave like-minded people the opportunity to meet in one place and talk about issues concerning credit and debt.

The introduction of the Financial Conduct Authority was also addressed at the conference which was once again sponsored by Wescot, one of the largest debt collection services in the United Kingdom. The Financial Conduct Authority has been set up to deal with the conduct of large banks all the way down to small businesses and traders and it is hoped that this new authority will play an important role in the transparency of financial issues in the future.

wescotMany of the leading industry experts were on hand at the conference to offer their expert opinion and discuss relevant aspects concerning the current financial sector. The event once more played host to exceptional keynote speakers such as Margaret Curran MP, who discussed the changes to the welfare system whilst Paul Lewis of the BBC chaired the opening day’s events.

Wescot have been sponsoring the event for many years and are extremely proud to be associated with such a dedicated and comprehensive event. Wescot employ over 650 staff throughout the United Kingdom and are considered to be one of the leading debt recovery agencies in the United Kingdom. The fact that the company sponsors such a prestigious event is proof itself that Wescot are leading players within the financial sector and have a keen interest in the current issues.

Wescot | Money Advice Scotland Introduces New Sponsor for their Conference

Money Advice Scotland is a charity that has been operating since 1989; they provide important advice to people struggling to repay debts and attempting to relieve the burden that borrowing money often creates. Each year, Money Advice Scotland hosts a two day conference to bring together people from all over the credit industry, not just major lenders but also individuals that need advice on financial responsibility and debt management companies. The event has continued to go from strength to strength as it provides not onlywescot a forum for those who are in debt to voice their worries and receive advice on where to go next, but it also attracts many large companies wishing to network and meet other companies within the industry. Naturally, an event such as this requires a certain level of financial support, and Money Advice Scotland sources many sponsors, including large lending companies. They have recently announced Wescot, a debt recovery company from Glasgow as one of the big new sponsors of the event.

As well as the necessary financial backing required to host such an event, Money Advice Scotland also welcomed the prestige that their big sponsors bring with them. Their newest sponsor, Wescot for example employs 650 people over three locations, Glasgow, Saltcoats and Hull and they process 5 million accounts each year. They have become one of the biggest debt recovery companies in the country and as such they are bound to attract even more people to attend the Money Advice Scotland conference in the years to come. Not only will their prestige attract other companies, start-ups and established lenders that require debt recoveries, but the attraction of having a market expert to provide advice to people suffering from debt will be a large boon to the conference.

The event itself covers two days, on the first day there are optional workshops that will focus on different but related areas of credit management. These workshops are held primarily for members of the public that Money Advice Scotland come into contact with every day as part of their operations. One of the biggest attractions of these events for corporations, however are the ample opportunities to network with other businesses in the industry that they might not otherwise come into contact with.

Wescot / Sponsors of Money Advice Scotland

Money Advice Scotland (MAS) is a registered charity which operates as the national umbrella organisation for the support and promotion of independent, impartial, free and confidential debt and finance advice and financial inclusion. Each year MAS howescotst a conference addressing some of the more important topical issues which affect the financial services and credit services sectors. As one of the sponsors of MAS, Wescot Credit Services proactively engage with the debt advice sector to identify and implement best practice across the board, especially in these times of huge change for the financial services industry.

“Wescot is proud to support the Money Advice Scotland Conference and the excellent work undertaken by the MAS. Wescot is one of the largest debt collection agencies in the UK, employing over 650 staff at three centres in Hull, Glasgow and Saltcoats and servicing more than 5 million consumers each year. Wescot practice initiatives within our business ensuring customers and advisors continue to receive appropriate outcomes and support when working with Wescot.”

This year’s MAS conference, held over the 3rd and 4th of January, addressed the issues relating to changes in the regulatory landscape, including new bankruptcy legislation, welfare reforms and the setting up of the new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and regulatory board. In early 2014, it is expected that further topical issues within the finance sector will be up for debate, as new reforms shake up the industry and stricter regulations engender a need for a higher level of compliance.

As industry leaders, Wescot have always prided themselves on adopting compliance standards which are unsurpassed in the industry. In many cases, Wescot Credit Services have actually helped to shape the stringent government regulations now in place. Wescot continue to work ethically and to lead the way in terms of dealing with the increased regulations and the impact these have upon the credit services sector. The high compliance standards held by Wescot are recognised by both Trading Standards and the Lending Standards Board. Compliance is at the heart of everything Wescot do, with the strictest standards being built in to all processes to ensure continued adherence to all current regulations and guidelines.

Wescot appreciates the value of technology for a customer-focused outlook

The UK-based collections agency Wescot provides a superb example to other companies when it comes to compliance and treating customers fairly. Wescot was one of the sponsors for the 2013 Money Advice Scotland conference held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Glasgow over the summer. The aim of Money Advice Scotland is to act as an umbrella group for the many companies and independent bodies that offer free, impartial advice for the people of Scotland.

For anyone familiar with the Wescot ethos and business model, the company’s involvement in the Money Advice Scotland conference comes as no surprise. The emphasis of Wescot is very much on treating customers fairly. Wescot recognises the very important work that Money Advice Scotland does in providing impartial advice. Wescot is well aware of the fact that customers ought to be entitled to expert advice in order to help them with their repayment strategies. In turn, this assists both Wescot and its customers in reaching appropriate and fair outcomes.

The way in which Wescot operates demonstrates its customer-focused approach. The company started out in Scotland over 30 years ago. Since then, it has grown considerably. Wescot employs over 650 staff across two offices in Scotland and one in Hull. It provides services for household name companies in the telecom, utilities, banking and retail niches and also for local government. Wescot operates a round the clock service – thanks to a 24-hour virtual call centre. This means that customers have the opportunity to make contact with the company at a time that’s convenient to them – rather than being confined to standard business hours.

WescotThe Wescot website is also geared towards providing customers with all possible assistance. It includes a facility enabling customers to make a payment online. Alternatively, customers have the option of making payments by telephone. Other methods of payment include Direct Debit payments, PayPoint outlet payment or else payment by cheque. The website also provides a comprehensive questions and answers page. It sets out very clearly the options open to the customer for discussing and negotiating payment.

Wescot appreciates the importance of ensuring that its representatives are trained to act in a completely professional manner. Wescot also ensures that the data it holds on its customers is as accurate as possible. This is done in partnership with Experian, a global data management company.